Youth Convention '08

There is only one word I can think can describe Youth Convention this year "WOW". It start for us around 5:00 on Thursday with everyone meeting at the church and then heading over to the Giant Center. We found our seats then had a few minutes before the service began. The Micheal Gungor Band led worship and speaker Pat Schatzline was the speaker. I really think he has ADHD or something like that. He was always getting off track and telling funny stories about his life. He spoke about Joseph being thrown in a pit and how we are in a pit. Once the service was over we headed back to church and then back home. The next morning we all had to be at the church by 7:30 so we could leave at 7:45. Right before the service began I talk to Bill Chanco (the Director of Admissions at VFCC) and he helped me understand a little more about the Fine Arts scholarship process. Now I always love the Friday morning service because of the candles. They started the service with communion, then lit the candles. I have a few pictures and a short video of the candle service down below. After everyone blow out their candles Phil Baker (the youth specialist at VFCC) spoke to us. He had every Junior stand and told them that they could win $1,000 to Valley Forge. Then he had all the Seniors stand and he said that every senior every senior that was at Youth Convention would get $1,000 scholarship to Valley Forge. After he said all that they had a 10 minute break, so I went out to the VFCC to sign up for the $1,000. After the break, Pat spoke about Joseph being in prison and the in between parts of our life, where it is all about the choices we make. Then it was time to eat, so we loaded up and headed to Jumbo Buffet. After lunch we went to the mall for three hours. The high school girls went to Macy's and tried on prom dresses. Then we left the mall and headed back to the Giant Center for the Fine Arts results. I wrote the results in the District Fine Arts post. then Pat talked about picking up Josephs bones and living on the legacy. Now that service was powerful and I felt God like I never did before. After half of the people left, we headed out and went back to the church for our all-nighter. At the all-nighter we played volleyball and basketball, then Niccole and I watch a few movies. I fell asleep during the movies and woke up in just enough time to get started on breakfast and cleaning. I had a great time and can't believe it will be my last.

Candle Service.

Eating at a Jumbo Buffet.

Me, Jen, Niccole trying on dresses at the mall.

Everyone waiting for all the other groups to leave so there won't be a crowd.
Here's the video I got of the Candle Service.

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!

I wish you all a Happy Easter. Today we are celebrating Jesus' resurrection and thank Him for coming to save our lives.

Have A Happy Easter Everyone!

District Fine Arts

We performed the human video Wednesday night and we nailed everything. People during the human video were raising their hands and when we did the tomb everyone clapped their hands and cheered. Then my friend Lindsay did her Female Vocal Solo. On Thursday I performed my solo human video and when I went up to do it everyone there started to cheer really loud. I don't know why but they did and it was weird cause I never had a big cheer like that before. Everyone says that I did great and I felt okay with how I did. After I performed we got ready to go and headed back to the church to have lunch and waited until everyone else showed up for Youth Convention. Friday night we found out how we did and the Large Human Video got Superior with invitation, so we are going to nationals. Once they called are name we screamed are longs out. Lindsay's Vocal Solo is also go to nationals. I haven't figured out why my solo human video didn't go on but I am perfectly fine with it not. Here are some of the pictures I got of us at Fine Arts.

Jessica and Niccole watching other teams perform.

Justin, Sara, Lizzy, and Ashleigh watching Lindsay.

Ashley, Lindsay, Debbie, Angela, Destiny, Robyn, Kierstin watching Lindsay.

Lindsay singing.

Sleeping at Lindsay's House.Kierstin, Ashley, Lindsay, Robyn waiting for me to perform.
having fun back at the church. They were free falling.

This is a video of the girls free falling, sorry its side ways.

District Fine Arts and Youth Convention

Tonight is the start of Fine Arts which always means that Youth Convention is here and I can't wait. Tonight our Large Human Video is performing and tomorrow is my Human Video Solo. I just ask that you pray for our nerves that they don't keep us from doing our best. I feel ready for the performance but I don't know how everyone else is feeling. I know we are doing what God wants us to do with the human video. We have a plans to do it for a Sunday service and our two leaders have had people ask if we could do it for their church. So no matter if we make it on or not, we will use the human video for God's will.

Thursday night is the first service for Youth Convention. I know God is going to move in the service and touch hearts.

I will post about the next few days on Saturday (if I am not to tired).

Friday Night Youth

After getting back from Breakaway Kierstin, Robyn, and I hung out at church until Human Video practice started. Then after practice was over it was time to start youth, so we played Red Rover and then started service. Now this service was a little different because Pastor Eric had a friend (Heather) from Valley Forge come, lead worship and teach us a little about worshiping. Heather had three different stations we could go to. The first one had notebooks so you could write what you want to say to God. The second one was a pan of sand that you could write your sin in, then after a prayer you wipe it away to say that sin is gone. The third one had pieces of paper and markers so you can draw in a sign of worship. And while we were going to each station Heather played a few worship songs so we could sing if we wanted to. Then after everyone had been to at least two of the stations we had communion. It was a really good service and there were a few friends who made up.
Here's what I wrote in the journal I thought I would share it with you guys:

March 14, 2008 Worship

Worship is an act of obedience. It’s when you put your full attention on something. God should always be that something we put our attention on. We should think about Him all the time and also how we can worship Him in what we are doing. I usually never put my full attention on God, I tend to think about other things. Even when I am in a time of worship I usually never really focus on God, I think of other things that are happening. I am sorry God that I don’t focus on you. I want to get better at worshipping you in everything I do.